Hermetically sealed primer



`Fan. 3,=1959 T. D. RAMsEY 2,868,128

l-{ERMETICALLY SEALED PRIMER Filed March 19. 1946 7.2- gni.

IIIIIIV/ Annulliumllllyj//////%/g muuu HERMETICALLY SEALED PREMER Thomas D. Ramsey, United States Navy, Washington, D. C., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application March 19, 1946, Serial No. 655,536

i Claims. (Ci. 10E-36.5)

(Granted under Titia 35, U. S. @ode (1h52), sec. 266) This invention relates to a primer for use in an ordnance weapon such, for example, as a bomb, projectile, rocket, mine or the like and being adapted to re the main explosive charge arranged within either of the aforesaid weapons, as the case may be, as the primer is tired.

It has been found that the explosive mix used in the present type primer of the general type herein disclosed deteriorates rapidly under certain conditions, thereby preventing ring of the primer and explosion of the main charge within the weapon in which the primer is employed.

The present invention is adapted to provide a primer for use with an ordnance weapon in which the primer mix therein is prevented from deterioration for an indefinite period of time thus insuring the conditions necessary for the proper functioning of the aforesaid weapon in which the primer is employed regardless of the age of the primer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a primer having means whereby the explosive mix is sealed Within the primer casing in such a manner as to prevent deterioration thereof during the life of the primer thereby insuring firing of the primer and explosion of the main charge arranged within the weapon in which the primer is used in response toa ring impulse received thereby.

Another object is to provide a new and improved primer for use in an ordnance weapon having improved means for hermetically sealing the explosive mix within the primer casing.

A further object is to provide a new and improved primer which is economical to manufacture, reliable in operation over a long period of time and which possesses all the qualities of ruggedness and dependability in service.

Still other objects, advantages and improvements will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. l is a central longitudinal sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the casing or shell of Fig. 1 before the explosive mix has been hermetically sealed therein;

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of an alternative form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the casing or shell of Fig. 3 before the explosive mix has been hermetically sealed therein;

Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a still further modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the casing or shell of Fig. 5 before the explosive mix has been hermetically sealed therein.

Referring now to the drawings on which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the primer is indicated generally by the numeral 10 and comprises a shell or casing 11 composed of any material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as copper, brass, aluminum or the like. The shell 11 is provided with a base flange 12 formed thereon providing means whereby the primer may be secured in the usual manner to an ordnance weapon such, for example, as a bomb, projectile, rocket, mine or the like and which is well known to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

In the arrangement of Fig. 1, a barrier or support 13 is integrally formed within the shell 11 in any suitable manner and disposed intermediate the ends thereof, the barrier being adapted to receive and support a primer explosive mix 14. The mix is of the type adapted to be tired in response to a pressure impulse applied thereto and is charged on the barrier in the usual manner.

A disc 15 composed of any material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as copper, brass, or the like is arranged within the shell 11 in abutting relation with respect to the outer surface of the primer mix, the disc being clamped in this position by a flange portion 16 formed on the shell 11 and adapted to engage the disc 15, Fig. 1, thereby to maintain the primer mix and the disc in a fixed position within a compartment 17 formed in the outer end portion of the shell 11.

it will be understood, however, that the explosive mix is charged against the barrier 13 in the usual manner, as is well known to those skilled in the art, when the shell 11 is in the form shown on Fig. 2 of the drawings. After the explosive mix has been charged against the barrier, the disc 15 is then inserted into the compartment 1'7 and into abutting relation with respect to the outer surface of the explosive mix and the outer end of the shell is crimped or rolled to form the flan-ge 16 in such a manner as to engage the disc 15 thereby maintaining the explosive mix within the compartment 17 and also completely encasing the mix within metal. When the ilange has been crimped or rolled as heretofore described and as shown on Figs. l, 3, and 5 of the drawings a low melting point solder is applied to the disc 15 and ange 16 as at 18 thereby to hermetically seal the explosive mix within the aforesaid compartment 17, the arrangement disclosed thus preventing changes in the characteristics of the mix due to atmosphere conditions and also insuring proper ring thereof when desired.

As shown on Fig. 1 of the drawings the usual anvil 19 is arranged within a compartment 20 formed in the inner portion of the shell 11 and comprises a body portion 21 having a reduced conical impinging member 22 formed thereon, the outer portion thereof having abutting engagement with the central portion of the barrier 13. Means are thus provided for firing the explosive mix when the anvil is driven forward in response to a sudden blow received thereby, whereupon the impinging member 22 is driven through the barrier 13 with suflicient force to fire the explosive mix. It will be understood, however, that the body portion 21 of the anvil is provided with the usual plurality of flash openings or bores, one of which is indicated by the reference character 23 and being adapted to allow the expanding gases to escape therethrough when the explosive mix has been fired.

As shown more clearly on Fig. 2, the barrier 13 is formed integrally with the casing or shell 11, the barrier being disposed intermediate each end of the shell thus providing the compartment 17 for receiving the explosive mix 14 and disc 16, and the compartment 20 for receiving the anvil 19.

On Figs. 3 and 4 is shown an alternative form of the primer casing in which the casing is similar to the preferred form except that the casing is provided with an annular rib 24 formed therein intermediate each end thereof for supporting a barrier or partition 25. In this arrangement of the device and as more clearly shown on Fig. 4 of the drawings, the barrier 25 is formed separately from the casing and is secured to the rib 24 by solder or While the invention ha'ksbeenl :described withlparticular ity in reference tos'everalernbodiments Awhich produce satisfactory results, it rwillV be f" apparentv to ythose skilled in the'art to vwhich-the invention'-'pertains, after understanding the invention, :that thel inventionL initsI broader aspects' could beV carriedl out Vby other'instrumentalities, and it is understood thatthev terms used inthe claims are Words of description andV not of 'limitation except as necessitated by the prior art.

The invention rherein described and claimed may be manufactured and used'byor'for the-Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes withf out payment of Janyroyaltiesl thereony or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patentl of theU-nited'States is:

1. Iny aprimer ofthe character disclosed, a'cylindrical casing, a partition Vsecured-Within said casing, an explosive mix charged against said partition, a concavo-convex disc disposed againstthe outer surface of said explosive mix, a ange formed inwardly on said casing and adapted to engage said disc through a major 'portion of the surface thereof, and a metallic binder soldered to the ange and disc for hermetically sealingthe explosive mix Within said casing.

2. In a primer of the character disclosed, a cylindrical casing, a retaining wall formed'within said casing, an explosive mix arranged onv said retaining wall, a concavoconvex disc disposed against the outer surface of said explosive mix, a flange formed -on said casing and adapted to engage said disc throughoutv a major portion of the surface thereof, Ya metallic binder soldered to-said ange and to said disc for -hermetically'sealing the explosive mix l Y within said casing, and means arranged within said casing andiadapted to re the explosive mix'in response to a sudden blow received thereby.

3. In a primer of the character disclosed, a cylindrical casing, a transverse barrier arranged within said casing, an explosive charge disposed on said barrier, a concavoconvex disc arranged within said casing and having the outer periphery in `sea-ling engagement with' said casing and the concave portion thereof in abutting engagement with the outer surface of said explosive charge, a flange on the casing and forming a part thereof in abutting enga-gement with said disc throughout the major convex portion thereof, a low fusible metallic binder applied to said ange and to said convex portion' of the disc for hermetically sealing the explosive charge within the casing between the barrier and the disc, and means arranged 'wi-thin the casing in abutting engagement with the barrier for firing the charge in response to a sudden blow received thereby.

4. In a lprimer of the character disclosed, 'a easingl'having one end portion thereof bent back upon itself toform a ytransverse barrier thereinand-intermediate the length thereof, an explosive charge pressed onto the'upper surface of said barrier, a concavo-convex metallic disc pressed into engagement with the outer'surfaceof `said explosive charge, a flange on said-bentbaek portion'and pressedfinto engagement with saiddisc throughout `a major portion of the surface thereof, a'- metallic binder v applied to said flange and a portion of said disc for hermeticallyl sealing the charge within the casing,and means arranged within the other end of the casing in abutting engagement with vthe barrier and constructed fand arranged tov re said charge in response toasuddelr'blow received thereby.

References Cited in the le'of this patent n UNITED STATES PATENTS 

